Electric connecter



March 11 1924., 1,486,6911

E. SCHWARTZ ELECTRIC CONNECTEH Filed Sept. 7; 1918 avwewroz EDA/HEBJc'HWfl/PTZ 142% Fatented Mar. Till, 1924.

new are Matter PATENT @FFHQE.

EDW SCHWARTZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO MANHATTAN ELECTRICALCOMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATIQN 0F ELIASSA- ELECTRICCONNECTER.

Application filed September 7, 1918. Serial No. 253,076.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, EDWARD SCHWARTL, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Gonnecters, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric flat irons and particularly to adetachable connection device for establishing the power circuit throughthe resistance unit of the iron, the object of my invention being toprovide a safe, rugged connection which can be quickly and easily madeor broken and possessing certain features of advantage and noveltyhereinafter described or shown in the accompanying drawings in whichFig. 1 is a side elevation of a flat iron showing my invention appliedthereto;

Fig.2 is a section on the line 22, Fig. 1,-but drawn to' an enlargedscale;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the plug casing showing, inelevation, the terminal carrying body within the same, but with theterminals detached;

Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 shows the center contact of the plug element in side elevationsat right angles to each other; and

Fig. 6 shows the side contact in similar views.

The main features of the flat iron are of customary construction andcomprise a heavy metal base 10 and an associated heat ing element 11,enclosed by the cover 12, to which the handle 13 is attached by screwbolts 14 and a central holding screw 15 which also secures the cover tothe base. At the heel of the iron is located a detachable connectiondevice by which the resistance element 11 is brought into the circuit ofthe power wires 16 and 17 of the cable 18. The present invention relatesto this connection device.

In the form here shown theleads 19 and 20, from the resistance element11, are respectively secured to the binding posts 21 and 22, mounted onlugs 23 and 24 which are secured to the heavy metal weight-block 25between which and the base 10 the resistance element is confined.Washers 26 of mica or the like insulate the binding posts 19 and 20 fromthe lugs 23 and 24. A strap 27 between which and the head of the bindingpost 21 wire lead 19 is confined, extends laterally therefrom andcarries a tubular post 28 which forms a center terminal for theconnecting device. A strap 29 between which and the head of the bindingpost 22 the resistance lead 20 is confined, extends laterally inopposite direction, but at a higher level than the strap 27, and carriesa metal shell 30 forming the side terminal of the connecting device.This shell surrounds the post 28 and is separated therefrom, as well ascentered with relation thereto, by an insulating washer 31 ,at its baseand an insulating ring bushing 32 at its top. It will be notedthat thebushing 32 extends beyond the upper ends of both the post 28 and shell32 and forms a barrier which not only separates the contacts at 'thispoint, but is oppositely bevelled to guide the cooperating contacts ofthe plug element into engagement with the post and shell respectively.Both post and shell contacts 28 and 30 project upward through the cover12 of the iron and are insulated from the latter at the point at whichthey pass therethrough by a washer 33. Guide rings 34 and 35, secured tothe frame 36 of the handle 13, not only protect these contacts againstaccidental injury, but are centered with relation thereto to form aguiding support for the plug member of the connection.

This plug is secured to the end of the cable 18 and has a tubular casing37 of insulating material, the opening 38 at one end of which is ofsubstantially the same diameter as the shell 30, above referred to, sothat it sleeves over the latter. Within the casing 37 is mounted, byaset screw 39, an insulating body which carries the plug contacts 41 and42 projecting toward the opening 38, and at its opposite end the bindingscrews 43 and 44, by which electric connection is established betweenthe contacts 41 and 42 and the leads 16 and 17. The contact 41 comprisesa spring band split at 45 and integral with the strap 46, and pierced at47 to receive the stemof the binding screw 43. The cooperating contact42 comprises a pair of spring arms rounded at their free ends andforming extensions of wings 48 and 49, ofiset at right angles to thestrap 50, which is pierced at 51to receive the stem of the CID bindingscrew 44. The two contacts are mounted on opposite sides of theinsulating body 40 and are held in position by a single bolt 52,piercing the body 40 and the holes 53 and 54 in the contacts. The headof the screw bears against the strap 46 of the terminal 41, but isinsulated from the strap of the terminal 42 by a collar 55 formed on theinsulating body 40 and fitting within the hole 54 of the strap 50, whilethe nut 56 is s aced from the strap 50 by an insulating was her. Thebody 40 is provided with a web 57 which separates the power wires 16 and17 and is also recessed on opposite sides at 58 to accommodate the nutson the inner ends of the binding screws 43 and 44 and to form recesseswithin which the wire ends are confined. The insulating body 40 is alsoslotted at 59 and 60 to receive the'wings 48 and 49, on the contact 42,which is thus held rigidly in central position with relation to the ringcontact 41.

The casing 37 is tapped at its cable end 61 to receive a thimble 62secured to one end of the coil spring 63 which surrounds the cable 18and carries, at its other end, a gilng ball 64 by which the plug may behan- When it is desired to establish the connection between the powercable 18 and the resistance element of the iron, the plug is insertedthrough the guide rings 34 and 35 into engagement with the terminals 28and 30 on the iron. The construction of the terminals on the iron and ofthe contacts of the plug is such that they sleeve into engagementwithout regard to the relative rotary positions of the parts, and nocare need be taken to accurately position the plug with relation to theterminals on the iron. Their engagement with the contacts of the plug isrendered particularly eifective by the frictional contact incidental tothe expansion of the ring contact 41 as it is pushed down over the shell30, and by the compression of the arms 42 as they enter the tubularcenter contact 28. The friction grip thus secured between the plugcontacts and receptacle terminals not .only insures good electricalconnection, but a sufficient mechanical engagement between the parts toprevent accidental removal of the plug. When it is desired to remove theplug, the ball 64 is pulled upward thus placing the spring 63 undertension and insuring a quick break between the engaging contacts as theplug is withdrawn.

Various modifications in detail of construction will readily occur tothose skilled in the art, which do not depart from what I claim as myinvention.

I claim 7 An electrical connecter comprising an in sulating tubularcasing, an insulating button adapted to enter said casing and be securedwithin the same, together with contacts carried by said button andcomprising a cylindrical contact of spring metal having projecting fromone edge thereof a combined securing strap and binding screw terminal,and a second contact comprising a pair of spring fingers adapted to bearranged substantially axially within said cylindrical contact andspaced therefrom, said spring fingers being integral with a sheet metalstrap arranged in extension thereof and forming a combined attachingstrap and binding screw terminal, said straps being arranged on oppositesides of the insulating button and secured thereto, the contactsprojecting in the same direction from said button and being housedwithin the surroundin insulating casing.

n testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EDW. SCHWARTZ.

